[3] Hillman returned for the 1986–87 season and was able to earn 13 minutes per game backing up starters Steve Alford and Keith Smart as the team's third guard.
The Hoosiers won the NCAA title that year, defeating Syracuse in the championship game with Hillman collecting 6 assists, tied for team high.
He was selected by the Oakland A's in the 25th round of the 1988 Major League Baseball draft and signed with the A's, reporting to their A affiliate, the Southern Oregon A's for the 1988 season.
[2] In that redshirt senior season, Hillman became a key player for the Hoosiers, averaging 12.6 points per game and serving as captain of the eventual Big Ten champions.
Despite his somewhat modest statistics, Hillman's importance to the team was recognized by opposing coaches, some of whom championed his candidacy for Big Ten Player of the Year (eventually shared by teammate Jay Edwards and Glen Rice of Michigan).